Yamina leader Naftali Bennett and New Hope chief Gideon Sa'ar addressed their factions on Monday, making remarkably similar statements. Sa'ar claimed that "there are difficulties in forming a unity government," added that he didn't know whether it was feasible, while Bennett noted that "the gaps" between the parties were "substantial," adding, "I cannot guarantee that the efforts will bear fruit." But in all likelihood, the opposite is true.
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The Bennett-Lapid government will become a done deal in the coming days – its partners are adamant about that. The statements about the "gaps" and "difficulties" aim simply at giving Bennett and Sa'ar a few more days of grace before the expected right-wing onslaught over the fact that they have joined a government that includes Labor and Meretz.
The truth is that the outline of this government is pretty much a done deal. Its core principles regarding the religious-secular status quo have been agreed upon, as have the division of roles and portfolios. Bennett will be the prime minister, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid will be foreign minister, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz as defense minister, Yisrael Beytenu's Avigdor Lieberman as finance minister, New Hope's Yifat Shasha-Biton as education minister, Sa'ar or Yamina's Shaked as justice minister, and Yamina's Matan Kahana in the Religious Services Ministry. .
The Likud has almost no room for maneuver. Even the "last resort scenario," according to which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would agree to a power-sharing deal, vacate his seat and give Bennett or Sa'ar assume the position of PM for the first year has been railroaded Sa'ar's quest for revenge as New Hope's leader refuses, at the moment, to grant Netanyahu an option to return to the Prime Minister's Office's in the second part of the rotation.
Likud members who are holding out hope that Gantz will accept Netanyahu's rotation proposal will be disappointed. Even if political considerations urge Gantz to agree, he wholeheartedly believes that Netanyahu should be removed from office at all costs – even a personal one.
The one taking most of the political fire these days in Yamina, even though it is the last in the blame chain. Yamina is more than willing to form a "full" right-wing government if Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich accepts the fact it will be endorsed by the Islamist Ra'am party. And if Sa'ar puts the hollow "Anyone but Netanyahu" principle aside – a right-wing government could be formed in a day.
The chances of either of these happening are slim, so everyone better get used to saying "Prime Minister Naphtali Bennet," and "Foreign Minister Yair Lapid."
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